Pal`s messed up laptop...where to start

Where to start????????????

My wife`s pal`s laptop which runs XP seems to be in a right old mess.
t has some outdated Norton product wanting more £££ to fix the apparent problems..

She knows nothing about basic security and just looking in "Msconfig" i have found all manner of stuff that turns out to be dodgy(sysinfo.org)

I even tried to install AVG but it would`nt install and Spybot once it installed told me it needs to update but then "update" tell`s me it IS the latest & greatest....

I dont know if The "malicious software removal tool" is worth the time & effort as it aint finding nothing but i highly suspect that to be bulls**t...

Anyway....As some of you know i do have just a little knowlage with all this sort of stuff but personally i had enough of it after 4 months and no longer use windows.
I`d really like to help her sort this mess out but where does one start when you cant even use some basic software to help..

I know about "hyjackthis" and will no doubt end up posting a log but
Is there a better approach to mabey try before i resort to that???
Thats IF i can install it.. ..

Any idea`s would be greatly appreciated as ever from this psuedo expert.......(or "sudo" even).

This stuff can sometimes take days and i dont want her worrying too much.....She`s probably expecting a complete clean system by time her & my wife get back from the shops.....lol

I KNOW it`s not always as simple as that,but i have always overcome EVERY problem ive encountered on my journey so far and of course that would`nt be the case if it was`nt for "google","RTFM`s"...And of course place`s like this....

Cheers for any ideas before i go jumping in feet first

(Oo;?(AVG can't install?)

Anti-anti-virus and sudo Admin may be working cheerfully. Hijackthis is losing effect nowadays and Merijin prepared startuplist.exe. But HJT is still handy simplified log and diagnostics always should come first. To be worried shoud be worried about.

With problems that bad, I would backup important files, and format it clean.

Hi wallace, back again !

Anyhoo - the more information you can provide on symptoms you are having and what you have done to try and remove the infection, the more it helps us to help you.

In the meantime, can you download, update the definitions and run Spybot S & D, Ad-Aware, AVG Anti-Spyware and Trojan Hunter. After you have ran all these programs, run a thorough Anti-Virus scan. Should you not have any AV software on your machine, have a look at running an online scan at Panda Active Scan or Trend Micro Housecall or by downloading and installing AVG Free.

Once you have run these programs, please post a HijackThis log for us to look at.

Hi folks...cheers for the input.

Before i even posted i had tried to install AVG but at the very final point of installation it spat some registry error back at me and would`nt complete the install.
Then i had installed Spybot ok and run through all the initial setup procedures including the registry backup,immunisation and definition updates but when i then run the "check for problems" it told me i still needed to update the definitions......which is done .

I also run Ccleaner and defragged it for her.
Unfortunately she is yet another user who bought a pc with no XP cd even though she does have the "i386" directory with all the setup files..

Her daughter mainly uses MSN and some p2p app for her music but even MSN is`nt letting anyone connect to it now for some reason...
I used the "sysinfo.org" site to figure out that a lot of the startup entries and a lot of the running processes are undesirable to say the least..

The laptop is back at the friends tonight now as her daughter wants some music off it but she does understand now how important it is to have this mess fixed before it dies for good.....

I`ve convinced her to Switch to firefox rather than IE and i will have the thing back tomorrow to continue the clean up....
I will post that log aitken and i do recall using "startuplist.exe" megumi so thanks for the reminder.....

Ive sort of forgot a lot of the steps i learned when i used XP myself so it`s good to be reminded again...
I`ll also try some different programs failing AVG & spybot but those were my first thoughts so them not wanting to work is quite concerning i think?

Sorry it`s so vague as usual folks but i will return tomorrow armed with some better idea of whats going on and that Hyjackthis log.....

Whats the best alternatives to AVG & spybot do you`se reckon in case they fail to work?????

God im glad I dont have these troubles no more......It`s a bloody nightmare so it is..

EDIT...Forget that last question

Is it an OEM xp? if that is the case, strictly not legit, you could use anpother copy of xp oem and install using the product key on the laptop. Most drivers will be available from the vendors website.

He doesn't have the XP cd, that's the problem. (wallace69 doesn't do things by halfs!)

@wallace69 - try running the applications that I posted above firstly and let us know if they discover items when posting the HJT log.

This thread will probably be more suited to the Anti-Virus forum, but I'll leave it here for the time being until we see the results of the scans.

oh, maybe he can get hold of one from a friend.

Good morning people.....and thank you again for the interest and the input...
Profftnt:If you knew the adventures i`ve had down to a lack of XP cd`s during my short time then you`d understand aitkens comments a bit more...lol.....
Everybody i know with a pc is in the same boat......They come to me now with their product keys as im the only plonker locally who has managed to suss it out with no XP cd`s

I know how to re-install xp without xp cd`s on a desktop with access to a floppy drive but laptops are a wee bit different me thinks SO my method of getting a clean XP on to a pc is`nt really applicable here...

Even though im sure there would be a way

Anyway enough of my rambling.....plenty o that to come eh
Laptop`s not arrived back yet but as soon as it does and ive got some proper info `ill be back...

Aitken:i kinda thought this was mabey the wrong forum but you can send me one of your PM`s if it turns out it is in the wrong place...
Cheers mucker.....(that`ll confuse megumi eh)...lol

Right...only just got the laptop back so will still be an hour or 2(?) to get all that done,especially if AVG & spybot are still a prob..

Anyway just a query while i get stuck in..

The pc is still under guarentee for s month or 2 so could`nt she go back to pc world and demand an xp cd.
Even though it has the i386 copy that cant really be used if she does crashed for good and even though im going to help clean it up a bit it would still be so much better if she had a cd as suggested...

Do you`se reckon she`d get one if she got on at them......
Too many folks in this prediciment..

DEMAND YOUR XP CD`S PEOPLE......
Will be back in an hour or so...thanks again

You might not get a Windows XP Cd, as they could say you pay for the XP licence not for the CD.

Offcourse it is a Maybe and you can always try getting it.

Further in yuor I386 folder is an setup file, you can burn this in a disk to install it(run the win32 -nt)


Goodluck dude :|

Yes i already know about the using the i386 but it can be frought with further probs and even considering such is a last resort...

I know how to do it on a desktop with access to a floppy for the bootdisk i need to use but im not too sure about it on a laptop...
It is always in the back of my mind though.........

I`ll settle for the current course of action for the time being and she is going to phone Pc world with a bit of exaggeration...
She`s Scottish too like us so that accent in itself might just do the job
down here in London....lo
It works wonders for me in all sorts of situations...

Kids are in from school soon so this might take Longer than even it normally does ..
Thanks for all your replies people..